"Out of suffering have emerged the strongest souls; the most massive characters are seared with scars." – Khalil Gibran

A.S. Face 0438: Lisa Trusty

I am Lisa Trusty. I was diagnosed as having AS in August of 2011, when I was having my carpal tunnel tests (have CT in both hands and wrists) and have since only been taking twice daily pain medication (Naproxen script). I first started having severe pain in my back in my early 20’s, but it was put off on my weight. The pain was so severe at times that I would be walking and would have to stop and sit down or lean to rest until the throbbing and pain subsided. However, the pain did not go away with weight loss and my hips are now affected. Riding in the car to work and home makes it difficult to get out of the car (an hour each way) and at times I find myself having to lift my legs over the door edge of the car to get out. There are mornings that I wake up and my hips seem to be locked and I can’t move them. I eventually am able to do so but with much pain. I remember the day I took my son to the hospital for his scheduled circumcision, the staff threatened to not let him leave with me because I had an “episode” and my hips locked and I literally could not walk. I still wonder to this day if something else was going on as well because I seemed to have a hard time keeping my eyes opened. I felt almost drugged, like I needed to sleep. My Mom had to wheel me out of the hospital in a wheel chair with my son on my lap. Due to having other family medical emergencies and needs I have not seen a Rheumatologist yet, but I will soon. I am also a cancer survivor. I was diagnosed with Uterine Cancer in December 2009, and had a total hysterectomy with bilateral oophorectomy in 2003.